Shaun of the Dead

 

 

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SOTD is a british comedy about a man with no ambition in life who lives with 2 men one who is cocky and sure of himself the other a lazy slob with no intrests except to annoy and harass anyone who may cross his path.
Poor Shaun suffers from the all too common middle man middle child syndrome living with these two men as well as being stepped on at his middle management job.
Plus he competes with his stepdad who makes Shaun feel like a big wussy for being a spineless mommas boy.
Oh and he has a bossy girlfriend who wants Shaun to stand up for himself and take some kind of action in his life.
With all this commotion in his life Shaun fails to see the big picture including the fact that zombies have risen from the grave and started a bloody rampage in his hometown.
By the time he realises this fact two days have passed and those demanding people mentioned above are in danger becoming food for the undead.
Thus springing Shaun into action as he bumbles his way from here to there trying to save these people with no clear reason why or how.
The gore and horror aspect take a backseat here for obvious reasons but are very intense and realistic but funny as hell because we see it all happening in the background as in one scene where Shaun shuffles to and from the store without ever noticing the feeding frenzy going on up and down the street or even when in another scene he mistakes a zombie for a drunk girl in his own backyard!!!
The direction and pacing is all very linear for a movie that juggles horror comedy and romance without ever losing its main objective or your attention.
Smart Funny and bloody.
Hell Yeah!!!!!!

Zombies are one of those horror staples that have gotten putrid, after one too many idiotic blood'n'gore-fests with a revolting script. Like poor Dracula, they run out of things to do.

But zombie films are revitalized by the wickedly funny "Shaun of the Dead," a tale of music, love, pubs, and the slobbering undead. In the vein of Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive," it's full of twisted humour, funny dialogue and plenty of gore.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) are the poster boys for adolescentus slackeritis, living in a London flat with their peeved roommate Pete, who has actually grown up and gotten a real job. Ed plays video games all day, and Shaun's immaturity has just gotten him dumped by his long-suffering girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield).

Wrapped up in his love life woes, Shaun fails to notice a little news item: Human beings all over London are transforming into zombies. At first, Shaun obliviously drowns his sorrows, and has a nasty encounter when he goes to pick up a soda. Now he must mend his relationship with Liz and defend himself and his family from the hordes of ravenous zombies... by barricading them in a pub.

"Shaun" makes the whole genre seem fresh just because it doesn't take itself seriously. The heroes don't even have guns (since the UK public don't get them), and so our heroes fend off the zombies with vinyl records, shovels and cricket bats. That gives an idea of how serious this movie is.

"Shaun of the Dead" isn't so much a zombie movie as a love story with zombies -- a very funny one, with lots of gore. We're treated to slackers in love, Shaun drifting obliviously around London withoutn noticing the undead, and some very entertaining dialogue ("Just look at the face: it's vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who's lost a bet...")

Later on, he's forced to shake off his obliviousness in order to save his loved ones, with a bat as his only weapon. And maybe some commandos in a tank. It's gory, and the ending gets a bit cliched and overserious, but the ride up until then is wonderfully scripted and full of hilarious crude comic moments. Not sex-organ/bathroom humor, but definitely not highbrow.

Everybody knows guys like Shaun and Ed. Pegg perfectly plays a slacker with a heart of gold, who would like to be more than he is, but doesn't have the slightest clue how to go about it. Frost is a good annoying sidekick for Shaun, and Ashfield does a good job as the long-suffering girlfriend.

As a bonus, music geeks will laugh themselves silly over such important decisions as: which albums should our reluctant heroes throw at the zombies? "Stone Roses?" "No." "...Second Coming?" "I liked it." "Dire Straits?" "Chuck it!" Good choice, Shaun m'boy.

While it's a hilarious movie, it's not a spoof -- rather it's a zombie movie with wit, love and comedy. By not taking itself too seriously, "Shaun of the Dead" ends up revitalizing a genre that seemed like it was... well, almost dead.

Zombies are one of those horror staples that have gotten putrid, after one too many idiotic blood'n'gore-fests with a revolting script. Like poor Dracula, they run out of things to do.

But zombie films are revitalized by the wickedly funny "Shaun of the Dead," a tale of music, love, pubs, and the slobbering undead. In the vein of Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive," it's full of twisted humour, funny dialogue and plenty of gore.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) are the poster boys for adolescentus slackeritis, living in a London flat with their peeved roommate Pete, who has actually grown up and gotten a real job. Ed plays video games all day, and Shaun's immaturity has just gotten him dumped by his long-suffering girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield).

Wrapped up in his love life woes, Shaun fails to notice a little news item: Human beings all over London are transforming into zombies. At first, Shaun obliviously drowns his sorrows, and has a nasty encounter when he goes to pick up a soda. Now he must mend his relationship with Liz and defend himself and his family from the hordes of ravenous zombies... by barricading them in a pub.

"Shaun" makes the whole genre seem fresh just because it doesn't take itself seriously. The heroes don't even have guns (since the UK public don't get them), and so our heroes fend off the zombies with vinyl records, shovels and cricket bats. That gives an idea of how serious this movie is.

"Shaun of the Dead" isn't so much a zombie movie as a love story with zombies -- a very funny one, with lots of gore. We're treated to slackers in love, Shaun drifting obliviously around London withoutn noticing the undead, and some very entertaining dialogue ("Just look at the face: it's vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who's lost a bet...")

Later on, he's forced to shake off his obliviousness in order to save his loved ones, with a bat as his only weapon. And maybe some commandos in a tank. It's gory, and the ending gets a bit cliched and overserious, but the ride up until then is wonderfully scripted and full of hilarious crude comic moments. Not sex-organ/bathroom humor, but definitely not highbrow.

Everybody knows guys like Shaun and Ed. Pegg perfectly plays a slacker with a heart of gold, who would like to be more than he is, but doesn't have the slightest clue how to go about it. Frost is a good annoying sidekick for Shaun, and Ashfield does a good job as the long-suffering girlfriend.

As a bonus, music geeks will laugh themselves silly over such important decisions as: which albums should our reluctant heroes throw at the zombies? "Stone Roses?" "No." "...Second Coming?" "I liked it." "Dire Straits?" "Chuck it!" Good choice, Shaun m'boy.

While it's a hilarious movie, it's not a spoof -- rather it's a zombie movie with wit, love and comedy. By not taking itself too seriously, "Shaun of the Dead" ends up revitalizing a genre that seemed like it was... well, almost dead.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for a Zombie Movie Collection
One of the best zombie films ever made - if you love zombie movies, you HAVE to own this one. Hilarious!

Published 21 months ago by Rozzy

5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie combo!
Shawn of the Dead is funny! Dawn of the dead is pretty good. Very good combo! Make some popcorn and settle in for a night of great entertainment.

Published on Mar 31 2009 by Mama Nuff Love

4.0 out of 5 stars More than just a funny movie with zombies
A terrific zombie film that is more a tribute than satire, albeit a tremendously funny one at times. Read more

Published on Oct 22 2007 by Perschon

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Zombie Flick!
If zombies are your bag, and you're looking for a good laugh at the same time, then this flick is for you.

The movie follows the standard zombie plot. Read more

Published on Mar 27 2005 by NorthVan Dave

2.0 out of 5 stars Started Off Great, Ended In A Whimper
I love zombie movies. I don't know what it is about the living dead that is so appealing. I was definitely looking forward to a film satirizing the zombie flick, namely Shaun of... Read more

Published on Mar 12 2005 by Scifihorrorfan

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to any "dead movies" collection
I own all the best dead movies, including this one. I'm happy to report it met all my expectations. It's clever, funny and has a healthy dose of gore. Read more

Published on Feb 15 2005 by Bittwister

1.0 out of 5 stars Forced preview viewing
This DVD forces you to watch a lot of previews of other movies before you can get to the menu to start the movie that you paid for. Read more

Published on Dec 27 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars What more could you ask for in a pointless zombie take-off??
Shaun of the Dead was definitely a great 13$ spent (ticket price). it was an awesome satiric comedy with a bunch of great new young english actors. Read more

Published on Dec 15 2004 by Music Listener

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